But he insisted: "With Checkkie in the team it was all a bit unpredictable, capricious.

"Although he is on the bench, I've always told him that he was ready for the top. I also think that the English game is better for him. The pace in the Premier League is so high that it is less noticeable when he has lost the ball.

"The game is up and down, up and down, so you always get the ball back quickly."